Baltimore’s private, public and nonprofit organizations understand the value the waterfront adds to the city.
The Waterfront Partnership, formed in October 2005, encompasses the Inner Harbor, Harbor East and a portion of Fells Point from the Rusty Scupper around to Bond Street Wharf. The partnership works to improve maintenance, beautification and visitor services for Baltimore’s “signature asset.”
The partnership recently released its first report, noting the many efforts the group has made to improve the waterfront. According to the report, last year 20,000 flowers and plants were installed, 57,000 pounds of trash and 530 graffiti tags were removed, and the partnership’s safety team performed more than 22,000 business security checks.
“I see a new vitality at the waterfront,” said Mike Hankin, chairman of the partnership and president and chief executive officer of Brown Advisory in Fells Point. “Joggers making a daily loop of the waterfront, shoppers in and out of stores in Harbor East, and entirely new communities of residents.”
Almost 420,000 people passed through the Visitor’s Center, a 25 percent increase from 2007, according to the report.
“The change downtown Baltimore has gone through in the last 10 years is phenomenal,” said Michael Beatty, president of H&S Properties Development, the developer of Harbor East. “The waterfront will only continue to improve the downtown area.”
– Andrew Cannarsa
